Babies, a Returned Missionary, and Ice Cream

What a fast week this was! Monday and Friday I got to babysit my friend's granddaughter. Yes! I said Granddaughter! Actually, technically she is my mom's very good friend, but I claim her too. And, technically, I'm friends with her daughter too (The mother of the baby) But, I'm closer to the grandma and plus that's more fun to say! Anyway, little Kalli is just one month old. So tiny! And talk about kicking the baby hunger into full gear! She's so precious. Nothing makes you realize how big your kids are getting like seeing them holding a baby. Look at my sweet Mailei! She's so good with babies, I just know she'll make a great baby sitter.

I've been wanting to make a yummy multi grain bread for a long time. I can never find a recipe I quite want to try, so finally I took a very basic whole wheat recipe and tweaked it. I was nervous, I don't like to tweak baking recipes. Stove top recipes, that's a different story, I'm all about tweaking those puppies. ( So, how many more times can I type tweaking?) So, I *tweaked* this basic recipe by throwing in extra butter and sugar, OK, OK, that part was on accident, but it worked. I also threw in a handful of oats, a handful of flax seed, and a handful of those little white ball seed things (that's the official name, I swear!) I let it rise, the first time. So far so good. Then, I realized I didn't have the time I thought I did to let it rise fully a second time. So after a short rising time I HAD to get it baked. I must have a dough thumb (I just made that up, I think it could work as the equivalent of a green thumb, don't ya think?) Because it turned out DELISH! I'm going to make it again, but with not so much sugar (it was really sweet, too sweet for sandwiches). If you happen to be around I might let you try some (If there's any left, it was a big hit with the kids!)

It's Pinewood Derby time. And from the sounds of it, there is a whole Pack of Cub Scouts getting ready to knock Mikey off his "Pack Champion" pedestal. Yikes! He better be on his best game! Truthfully, our Pack is awesome. There's some friendly competitiveness, but over all, the sportsmanship at our Derbies is amazing. Love this Pack. The derby is this Wednesday, so Mikey and Mike have been busy at work getting the car ready. (If you notice a reddish hue around Mikey's mouth, he had just eaten spaghetti....) I love the way these two work together each year to come up with a really great car!

Can't show too many pics, don't want to reveal any trade secrets! (wink wink)

Maddy and Molly have lots of matching jammies. They looked so cute this night, fresh from their bath, I wanted to snap a cute photo. Oh no! Not with these two Monkeys! We tried standing on the piano bench.

...not quite. We tried sitting on the couch.........

....closer, but still not quite......

We tried.........oh never mind. I did get a great shot of the couch, though!

My nephew Walker got home from his mission in November. He lives in Hawaii, so we didn't get to see him until this week. He will be attending BYU Idaho and came up a little early to spend some time with all of us. To welcome him "home" we had a family dinner at Mike's parents' house. I've been so busy just enjoying family, I haven't taken any great pics yet. But here are a few snapshots of the evening.

We also surprised Shelley with a cake and a bee-you-ti-ful rendition of Happy Birthday.

Look! There's Walker in the back ground. (Can't believe I haven't made him pose for a picture yet......urgh)

. Love the things babies will do with plastic bottles. Callie was having a blast here! (snuggled up to Mailei)

As for tonight, Mike had to work until 11, so the kids and I had a low key family home evening. Watched some Living Scripture stories and bonded around a container of ice cream. It was so cute listening to them talk to each other about the stories and how they related to each other. I love it that they have a love for those stories.